This evening, commencing at 20.00hrs, forty three team members, including 34x Full Team Call Out list and 7x Trainee team members and 2x members of our Support Group, jointly attended our Annual General Meeting and our Election of Council Officers held this evening at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ.
Proceedings were opened by our Chairman Craig Lamb, who had previously presented to the membership a written Chairman’s Report, at the conclusion of this his fourth year in office as Chairman.
This report was followed by our Team Leader, Garry Rhodes MBE’s Annual Report, which reflected on all the happenings in the Team of the previous 12 months and the many successes in the Team that have characterised the previous year.
The final report presented was made by our Treasurer of this past year Martin Banks, who reported on the continuing very healthy state of our finances, which go from strength to strength thanks to the many small and large donations, grants and bequests received this year.
Our election of Officers followed which saw very experienced team member Craig Lamb aged 56, a Financial Consultant from Swinton, elected for his fifth term of office as Chairman. (Craig has been a previous Team Training Officer)
Support Group member Gillian Gregory from Georges Lane, Horwich, was re-elected to her post on the Team Council as our Team Secretary.
Martin Banks of Horwich, was re-elected to his third year of Office as our Treasurer.
Our current Team Leader, Garry Rhodes MBE aged 57, from Tyldesley, celebrating thirty five years membership in the team this month, was re-elected to the Team Leader post for his 27th consecutive year in this important post, since first being elected to this post in March 1989.
Chris Greenhalgh, aged 35 years old, of Heaton, Bolton, a team member since 13th February 2002, and a serving GMFRS Fire Fighter was appointed to the position of Deputy Team Leader for his second year in this post.
Alisatir Greenough, a full time Accident and Emergency Nurse, and keen hillwalker and mountaineer aged 43 from Wigan, was re-elected to the post of Training Officer.
Nigel Booth, a full time Watch Manager with GMFRS, was elected as our Equipment Officer – Ropes and Stretchers, having previously served for two years on the Team Council as our Equipment Officer – Medical.
Mark Scott, aged 57, from Horwich, was elected as our Equipment Officer – Medical, a post he has previously held in the past on our Team Council as well as being a previous Team Treasurer.
Neil Aspinall, aged 46, of Eccleston was elected as our Equipment Officer – Vehicles, for his second term of office in this post and one he has previously held in the past.
Steve Fletcher, aged 33, of Lostock, was re elected as our Equipment Officer – IT and Communications, with Paul Copley of Johnson Fold, who joined the team in November 2010, being elected for his second term of office on the team Council as our Equipment Officer – HQ and Catering.
David Cook, of Dunscar, who joined the team with Paul Copley, was also re-elected within the Team Council as our Equipment Officer – Water, for his second term of Office.
The positions of Bob Hutchinson, aged 71 of Bury, as our President and Frank Hulton as our Vice President were also agreed, as was the appointment of our Auditors, HML Davis Limited, for 2015 and 2016.
Discussion then took place on our team membership attendance criteria.
The final matter for the evening was the agreement on our membership donation amount for the forthcoming year, which was set at a zero amount.
The meeting concluded at circa 22.50hrs, with a small group of team members then having a post AGM celebratory drink in the Bobs Smithy Public House.
Thanks to team member Dave Marsh who stood in as Secretary for this meeting as our Elected Secretary Gillian Gregory had a prior commitment.
Thanks also to Support Group members Dave Rees and Amanda Strickleton, who attended tonight providing much needed administrative support to the AGM including the collating and counting of all the voting papers made for each elected post.
